1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biaxial hinge device of an electrical equipment, suitable for a use in a first member as a main body portion equipped with a keyboard for portable electrical equipments, such as a laptop personal computer, a notebook personal computer, video cameras, etc., and a second member as a display portion of a liquid crystal screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among the above-indicated electrical equipments, etc., there is conventionally known in the Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-153899 an electrical equipment with a biaxial hinge device which, in addition to allowing for an opening and closing of a second member with regard to a first member in a vertical direction, can rotate in a horizontal direction the second member, when opened with regard to the first member.
The above-indicated Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-153899 sets forth a structure, in which a second member rotates with regard to a first member in a horizontal direction between 0° and 180°; further according to the structure of the same Patent Application, a selective rotation to 180° in either one direction, either right or left, is possible; in a range of rotation beyond 180° however, a rotation is prevented by force of a fixing stopper means installed on a hinge device.
An above-described structure causes a problem of a bad operability in meetings as business negotiations and meetings for layout examination: it is often necessary to rotate a first member and second member altogether, since a rotation of the second member with regard to the first member is only available in one direction, where a second member is opened with regard to a first member and it is necessary to show a personal computer display screen to people surrounding a running personal computer, i.e. where a person in front of the second member operates a keyboard on the first member, showing a display screen on the second member to the people on the both sides, either one of two persons side by side intends to operate the first member, showing a display screen to a person in front or people on their next side.
On the other hand, personal computers are often operated by one operator. In this condition it is desirable for a second member not to be rotated with regard to a first member, i.e. for both members to be stably placed in a fixed position in which both are in positive (a position in which both members face an operator in front).